Too late Naruto
by Kurai Tora
Summary: In the aftermath of the war Hinata is disappointed that Naruto is ignoring her, and someone wishes to help her forget him, but who? Read to find out. Suggestive themes and cursing inside.
1. Chapter 1

The war had ended, taking several lives with it, leaving several widows and orphans, but it was a necessary sacrifice, as they had won against the evil of Madara. There was a week-long festival to celebrate their victory, laughter and cheers could be heard across the five nations, yet there was a woman that wasn't smiling in Konoha, Hinata. She was sitting away from the commotion, in one of the most distant training grounds, staring up to the sky, wondering why Naruto didn't acknowledge her after everything she did.

It was a warm night, yet she felt cold. "Naruto… why can't you see me…?" she whispered softly, a tear running down her face. Little she knew that there was someone watching her, one that was willing to take away her loneliness, although he was an unlikely candidate.

Hinata heard steps coming closer, so she told whoever it was to go away. "I fear that I cannot attend this request." The gruff voice was enough to make her turn around to see the speaker. "Why are you here?" She stared at the ruby gaze from the Kyuubi, confused to see the being in front of her. "I was just strolling around, then I feel a veil of sadness and heartbreak, and I inspect the source to find you." The fox demon was towering above her, as big as a stallion. "Now you know that it was me, so you can go now."

His tails waved lazily behind him. "But I do not want to." She was stepping back and away from him, not understanding what he meant. "Hn, I heard your question about the blondie." Hinata looked to the distance, fidgeting a little. "It was just a whisper, how did you pick that up?" Kurama walked towards her, keeping the eye contact. "I heard once that the whisper of a pretty woman can be heard further than the roar of a lion." She saw the mirth on his eyes. "Why are you interested in me? I thought that you despised humans." The fox gave out a small chuckle, finally standing right in front of the petite woman. "Every rule has an exception, and this time you are the one."

Hinata sighed, as the fox seemed to like speaking in a weird way. "He is a fool, and a sensible woman can never be happy with a fool." Her attention snapped back to him at these words and got surprised when he rested his head on her shoulder, wrapping one of his tails around her in a kind of hug. "Why are you doing this for me?" His ear twitched to show that he heard her. "What?" She put one hand on his neck, as if he were her lifeline, almost crying. "Comforting me, giving me praises… I'm not worth it." He tightened his hold on her. "Let me be the judge of it." It had done it, her walls broke down and she clutched the fur on his chest, letting out all her pent up frustration while he just took her sorrow, not saying a word.

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Naruto was beaming, everybody in Konoha was now looking up to him, the girls were all over him and he was the envy of many men. Life looked good for him, now all that he needed was the robe of Hokage, but the old hag had decided to nominate Kakashi, as he had proved himself in the war and had lots of experience under his belt. But there was this annoying nagging at the back of his head, as if it was trying to show that something was wrong, but what was it? His life was peachy and sailing to better things. He knew that the nagging didn't come from the fox, as the demon was out from the seal. "Whatever, let's just get fun."

He was getting request for autographs every five minutes, sometimes a girl would drag him to a heavy make-out session until he had reached the group of Rookies. "Hey guys! Nice night right?" The Inuzuka was the first one to acknowledge his presence. "Hm? So Hinata isn't with you?" Naruto got confused. "No, why did you think that?" Kiba stopped munching his dumpling to glare at him then he just scoffed. "Meh, no reason. And ya're stinking of hoes." Naruto grabbed the shirt of the dog user, holding up a venomous look. "Go and say sorry to the girls of the village!" The brunette sneered at the blond. "Hah, why should I do it?" Naruto slammed him against a wall. "They just kissed me because they love me!" This invoked a loud laughter from Kiba. "HAHAHA! Don't give that crap to me! HA! Love? DAMN RIGHT! They're just doin' this 'cuz you're the oh so powerful HERO!" Kiba had stopped a little to recover his breath. "It's all bullcrap, their 'love' I mean." He made quotation marks at love. "Heh, ya don't deserve her after all. I just hope that she has already moved on." Naruto growled. "Who is 'she'?" Kiba snorted. "Once a blond, always a blond. I'm talking about Hinata!" At this point their friends were trying to separate them, not wanting a bloodbath. "Let me say one thing, letting Hinata go will be your biggest mistake!"

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Kurama was smiling softly at the woman in his hold. 'She smells so good.' Hinata had cried herself to sleep, but he wasn't complaining, he liked being around her. 'I won't let anyone take her from me.' He curled his tails protectively around the Hyuuga to shield her from the night chill. 'I wonder what the kit will say.' He smirked briefly before falling in a deep slumber.

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**Note to readers: this was just a drabble somehow inspired by my other story "I'll show them all reboot". It may stay as a one-shot, but if I get enogh feedback, I will turn this in a proper story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A little warning to the readers, this chapter will have several P.O.V.s changes, so don't get confused.**

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_Kurama was smiling softly at the woman in his hold. 'She smells so good.' Hinata had cried herself to sleep, but he wasn't complaining, he liked being around her. 'I won't let anyone take her from me.' He curled his tails protectively around the Hyuuga to shield her from the night chill. 'I wonder what the kit will say.' He smirked briefly before falling in a deep slumber._

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Hinata woke up groggily as the sun hit her eyes, snuggling onto her blanket. '… wait, I don't remember going back home!' Her eyes snapped open and she was facing a sleeping Kurama. 'So last night wasn't a dream.' She chose to not freak out and just settled with admiring the demon when she had the chance, running her fingers through his fur. 'It's so soft…' For her his hair resembled the one from a rabbit or a well groomed cat, well, an oversized one. She could feel his power even now, as his muscles moved under his skin with every move or breath he took. His scent WAS from a fox, but it also made her think of an old and untouched forest that just after the rain. 'He's so warm.' She was being lulled by the sound of his heartbeats, not aware that he was wide awake and giving out a mental chuckle.

Naruto groaned, feeling a shitty hangover pounding his head and making the sun burn his eyes. "FU*! Why didn't you heal me you damn f- ah! I let him go, so I'm on my own." His gaze fell over a mop of bright pink hair **(honestly, what did Kishimoto smoke to think that bright colors were a good idea for ninjas? *facepalm*)**. "Sakura?!" Then he noticed that he was in his birthday suit, both of them actually. 'Ehh! D-did we do IT?!' A thing clicked in his brain, he got to spend a night with his dream girl! He began a victory dance, as he finally nailed his childhood crush, waking her up and angering her. So the idiot received a punch to the temple that sent him to the commercial center, with the detail that he was still butt naked. He was a hero alright, but this stunt pissed off the conservative portion of the population, mainly the mothers, that wanted to lynch him for shattering the innocence of their children.

Kurama looked towards the village, dead sure that he heard something breaking, and the cloud of dust only proved his theory further. 'Such a retarded human, that brat never ceases to show how mankind can be stupid.' He snorted in contempt. He turned his attention to the Hyuuga, nudging her softly. "Hey, wake up sleeping beauty." Hinata pushed his snout away without looking. "Just five minutes…" Her response got a laughter session from the demon, waking her up with how much he was moving and the racket he made. 'Haha! My sides! Who knew that she was the late riser type?' She saw where she was and bolted up and away from him, trying to put the most distance she could in one jump. "Before you freak out, you should go home." She didn't have a reply as she saw the logic in his statement. "A-ah, w-well… thank you for putting up with me K-kyuu-" She was interrupted by him. "Kurama." Her eyes showed her confusion. "Eh?" He used one of his tails to close her gaping mouth. "Call me Kurama, as I would appreciate this." She became a bit flustered, but calmed herself and gave her farewell to him. "Bye K-kurama-san." He smiled. "Bye Hinata-san. Could we meet here at dusk?" She just nodded her reply and dashed towards the village.

Tsunade was grumbling in anger and outrage, both directed towards the imbecile blond ninja in front of her. "Naruto, why did I receive several reports about your sudden appearance in the middle of the village while you were completely bare?" She was staring down at a mummy look-a-like with a small patch of yellow hair at the top of his head. "Oh, you can't talk yet, your jaw was broken in six places." The Hokage was rubbing the bridge of her nose, feeling a migraine about to rise. "*sigh* I'll wait until you're healed to hear your explanation."

Hinata ran to her house and quickly locked herself in her bedroom, not noticing that she had surprised her father. 'What is wrong with her?' She was sitting on her bed, still letting the recent events with the fox demon sink in. "Why would he show interest in a puny human like me?" She was musing out loud, trying to find a reason for his behavior. Hiashi was right in front of her door, worried about his daughter.

Kurama smiled when he recalled the moments he shared with the shy kunoichi in the previous night. 'Lavender with a touch of spring rain.' Even if she was gone, he could smell the aroma that had seeped slightly in his fur. 'Such a calm and soothing voice, unlike my two last vessels and that banshee.' He was glad to be finally freed from the torture of having his sensitive ears abused by loud voices and screeches. He got a small smirk and made a promise to himself. "Uzumaki, you will regret leaving this angel free for the taking." He stood up, closing his eyes, doing a thing that he haven't done in a few millennia, assuming a human form. He felt his fangs receding into his skull and dulling; his bones reshaping themselves from a vulpine to a humanoid frame; his dense pelage faded away, save for the one on the top of his head; his claws and long ears shrunk into short nails and human ears. He opened his eyes again and scrutinized what happened with his body** (NO! he isn't naked you pervs!)**. "Hmm, not bad, I actually missed this form of mine." He was a man with a solid but lean build and slightly tanned skin, his hair was a blood red and went to his shoulders, he wore a pair of leather boots, a black trench coat with a red outline and black pants that had silver flame designs going up from the hem, and finally he had a set of red tattoos on both forearms and over the left side of his face. "I bet that nobody will recognize me." He made his way towards the village.

Hinata shook her head and sighed deeply, she couldn't figure what were the intentions of Kurama, no matter how hard she thought about the matter. "Hahh... what does he want?" She got up and showered, letting herself forget everything under the warm flow of water, but her mind also drifted out from her control. 'With the way he acted he could be a good boyf-' Hinata hit herself on the forehead. 'Stop! He would never see you this way!' She got out from the shower and dressed up, deciding to go out in an attempt to clear her head.

Sakura woke up in a foreign bedroom, groaning as a headache wormed its way into her brain. "Where I am…?" She recognized the shabby place as the apartment from her blond teammate, and when she tried to move, a sharp pain made itself known between her legs. "Damn! I wanted to do this with Sasuke!" She put her clothes on quickly. "Maybe I could use this to my advantage. I've seduced the Leaf's hero after all~"

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**I guess that you might be seeing Sakura as a bitch now. Well, that was the intention, I HATE the pink harpy. Thanks to Lucyole, Hikari to Seimei and Hinatalicious for the reviews. Maybe I'll update soon, in the meantime go check my other stories and leave reviews. Thanks for reading and goodbye.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Hinata shook her head and sighed deeply, she couldn't figure what were the intentions of Kurama, no matter how hard she thought about the matter. "Hahh... what does he want?" She got up and showered, letting herself forget everything under the warm flow of water, but her mind also drifted out from her control. 'With the way he acted he could be a good boyf-' Hinata hit herself on the forehead. 'Stop! He would never see you this way!' She got out from the shower and dressed up, deciding to go out in an attempt to clear her head._

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Kurama passed through the gates, but as soon he did so, he felt a weird chill going down his spine. 'What is this?!' He noticed a few girls staring at him. _'… huck, it's like I'm a piece of meat in the middle of a pride of lions…_' The females didn't mob him, but their stares made him fear for his physical and mental safety, as he was severely handicapped in his human state. When he was passing by a park, he felt something light bump against his leg, so he looked down to see a little girl crying softly and saw a bunch of older children laughing at her. 'Bullies huh?' He crouched in front of the girl, putting up a friendly smile. "Are you alright?" The kid looked up, surprising him a little when he saw the blood red eyes. "What is your name?" Kurama tried to figure how to calm the child down. "Yuuhi Haru… *sob*" He frowned then sighed wearily, deciding to help the kid somehow.

Hinata was strolling calmly through the commercial district, going towards the usual hanging out spot for the Rookie kunoichi. At the cafe, on their usual table were Tenten and Ino, Sakura was nowhere in sight, instead of the pinkette was the Suna nin, Temari. They were engaged in a cheery chatter, maybe they were discussing about last night. "I'm serious, I didn't know that Kiba could be romantic if he tried. Oh, hey Hina!" Ino was the first to see her, as she was facing in her direction. "Hello." Tenten pulled out a chair for her friend. "Come on, sit and tell us where you were last night, I searched for you the entire night!" Hinata saw the looks from the girls. "Well, I wasn't eager to bump on Naruto yesterday, so I went to a training ground." Ino perked up. "I'm sensing that you aren't telling us the full story." Hinata cursed her ability to detect secrets. "Okay… I met someone there." The platinum blonde smirked. "A guy, right? Did he flirt with you?" Hinata looked away. "Sort of…" Ino squealed in delight, spotting a good gossip. "So… was he a hunk?" Temari joined the fray. "I-it was dark, s-so I don't know." Tenten grinned. "She's stuttering so it's a yes." Hinata blushed at this remark. "Are you going to tell us who he was?" The trio was pressing the poor Hyuuga for answers. Hinata felt in a pinch and Sakura had barely arrived and settled near Ino when the bluenette bolted up and dashed away, chased by two blond girls and the brunette. Sakura was about to pursue them when a waiter grabbed her shoulder, giving her the bill. "BLOODY HELL!"

Kurenai was searching for her niece, having lost her because her son had to get a diaper change. She was almost getting desperate when she heard laughter and saw a redhead male spinning around with the girl on his shoulders and some other kids hanging off his arms. "Bwahahaha! Do you like this, kiddies?!" He was dressed in a way that would be considered suspicious, but Kurenai couldn't bring herself to antagonize the man that earned the liking of the children, mainly her niece, that was usually reserved like her ex-pupil Hinata. After a few moments the guy stilled, letting the kids get down, then, suddenly he just fell on his back, making Kurenai rush to him to see if he was alright. "So dizzy~" He had swirls for eyes and the red-eyed woman sweatdropped, recalling that he had been twirling around like crazy. A crash sounded at her left, coming from the woods. "WAIT HINATA! YOU MUST TELL US WHO HE WAS!" Kurenai had identified the voice as being from Ino. "NO WAY!" Weird, she could swear that was Hinata, but she rarely screamed that way. "I wonder what happened." She decided to ignore it for now, as she had to deal with this guy in front of her.

Tsunade finally figured what happened with Naruto, as she recalled some of the female Chuunin commenting how the hero had had bedded a 'flat-chested' and 'unattractive' girl instead of someone more 'bountiful'. '_Well, he could have chosen someone that actually LIKES him._' She snorted, maybe the brat did pick the tendency of making bad choices from Jiraiya. Yeah, maybe this was one of the curses from Team 7.

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**I'm going to end here, but don't worry, it's not the end of the story. Sorry if it seemed a bit random, I'm just writing on a whim. Thanks for the reviews **_**Crazygirls24 **_**and **_**Hinatalicious**_**, but I have a thing to tell you **_**Guest**_**, I can understand your reasoning, and I agree with your first point, but Hinata did confess once, just look at Pain's arc. The bit where you said "it would take a woman he trust to probably fight him and declare that she like or love him", namely… Sakura? Like she did during the Kage meeting? Don't feel offended, I'm just stating some facts.**

**Well, read and review please, and feel free to check my stories, even if I didn't update them yet.**


	4. Chapter 4

Kurama eyes opened slowly and he noticed that he had been dragged under a tree. _'Hm? Who did this?'_ The girl in front of him jumped when she saw him awake. "Auntie Kurenai! Uncle Red woke up!" He stared at the kid, almost snorting at the nickname. _'Seriouly?! Just because my hair is red?'_ His attention shifted towards the woman that came over at her niece's call. "At least you woke up, I almost thought that I would have to take you to the hospital." This woman was… ah, Kurenai. The woman who had tutored Hinata if he wasn't wrong. She held a bottle in front of his face. "Drink, you were at the verge of getting a heatstroke." He glared at the bottle, which didn't go unnoticed by the raven-haired woman. "I didn't poison it, so don't worry." He took it and chugged down the contents quickly. "… orange?" Kurenai sighed at his reaction. "Yeah, I only brought this for me besides kid supplies." Haru was tugging at Kurama's coat with puppy eyes. Kurenai only watched, wondering what this man would do. "Do you want to climb?" He was pointing to his shoulders and the girl nodded. "Okay then, heave-ho!" He effortlessly lifted her and placed her right behind his head. "She seems to be quite fond of you..." He got up without dropping Haru and stretched a hand for a greeting. "Kurama." Kurenai shook his hand, smiling at the glee shown by her niece. "It's a pleasure to know you Kurama." Kurama nodded in agreement, but winced when Haru pulled his hair. "Come uncle, walk!" The woman laughed at it and went to check on her son. The redhead followed her and peered down at the baby on her arms. "His name?" Kurenai looked lovingly at her child. "Asuma, the same as his father." Kurama looked around a bit, careful to not drop Haru. "And where is he now?" Her voice had a solemn tone. "He died on a mission." He saw the pain on her eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry!" She merely shook her head, showing that he didn't have to worry.

Hinata was panting in exhaustion. The effort of giving the slip on the three kunoichi was taxing on her body. "Gosh, they were so persistent." It didn't help that they actually worked together to find her, making things even harder. She recalled the meeting with the demon fox. He had found her when she needed support. He, a supposedly heartless being, showered her with praises. He, who was known to hate humans, had given her the permission to sleep with him. Everything that was common knowledge about the Kyuubi was shattered in one night in front of her. He had told her to meet him at dusk in the same place as last night, but she was torn between complying to his wishes and the voice of reason, which told her to stay away of the Bijuu. _'What should I do…? I want to meet him but at the same time I don't!' _She slumped against a tree. _'I'm so confused now…' _She began biting her nails in anxiety. What would the demon do if she ditched their next meeting? Would he get angry or would he merely brush this aside and go away?

Ino was scanning the streets in search of a certain Hyuuga. "Can you feel her around?" Tenten was the first one to answer. "No. Somehow she tricked us." Temari scoffed from her position. "Tch, I wanted to embarrass someone since my brother is always picking on me about Shikamaru." The trio decided to drop the case for today, as they would have other chances.

Sakura was mumbling curses under her breath. She intended to brag to her friends about how she had charmed the Leaf hero, counting on the gossiping tendencies of Ino to spread the news around the village and make Sasuke jealous. She only desired the dark avenger, but Naruto confirmed that his freaky stamina extended to the bedroom. Maybe the blond would accept the relationship 'friends with benefits' with her. But until now the only thing she got was a mighty blow to her savings with the bill she had to pay for the other kunoichi.

When Kiba went to see Kurenai and her son, he didn't expect to see her with a guy. Heck, this dude was too close for his liking and she had told him that Asuma was the only for her, so this stranger had to back off. Then he noticed Haru on his shoulders. The little brunette remembered him of Hinata and even called him 'brother', so he saw her as his baby sister. He walked closer in a way that wouldn't alert them and Akamaru seemed to notice his intent and stopped panting loudly. "Well, I am interested in a girl, but I don't know if she will accept me." Huh? So this guy wasn't hitting on his old sensei? "You never know until you try, it was the same with me and Asuma." What was going on? The Inuzuka was lost now. "Fine, I'll try someday." For some reason that he couldn't figure, the duo was talking about love matters. But if the redhead wasn't making a pass on her then it was alright. "Hey sensei! Fancy meeting you here, haha." He decided to throw the stealth to hell, he was eager to know this guy.

Naruto was healing rather quickly thanks to his Uzumaki bloodline, albeit it was a bit slower without the fox's chakra to aid him. Still, it was better than noting as he hated being in the hospital for too long. He was miffed because of the punch he received from Sakura. Sure, there were times when he got too annoying, but it didn't mean that he should receive a beating every time he opened his mouth. Most of his bones had already mended themselves, so he would be out at the end of the day if he behaved.

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**A brand new chapter for you, my dear readers. I have good news, I've gotten a break from school, so I'll update my stories real soon~**

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**heza-chan24= thanks for the praises. But you have to wait for his reaction. Stay tuned. **

**xX Your DoomXx= glad to know =^.^=**


	5. Chapter 5

Kiba had walked up to the group in front of him, eager to know this male. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka. What's your name?" A bark sounded from his side. "Oh, sorry buddy. This is my best friend Akamaru." Kurama looked at them, recognizing him as the one who the brat had beaten with a fart to the face. This memory made him snicker, bordering in a full blown laughter. That had to be one of the funniest things he had witnessed in his long life, and he even doubled down due to his sides hurting. "Hey dude, are you alright?" Kiba had the feeling that this guy was laughing at him, but why? "Heh, sorry Kiba, I've merely recalled a certain event in the Chuunin exams." Kurenai and Kiba figured what he meant quickly, and the woman held back a snicker while the teen grimaced. "Well, I am Kurama." The redhead offered his hand for a greeting, which the brunette grudgingly took. "I feel like that I've already seen you, but I dunno where." Kurama looked away. "Maybe you saw someone similar." Kiba scratched his head. "Yeah, maybe it was. By the way, these tattoos are cool, but mine are better." His forehead was promptly flicked by the other male. "Dream on puppy." Kurama had put Haru on the ground, and she jumped on Akamaru, making him walk around like a pony. "Look at the time. I'm sorry boys, but I have to go now. Come here Haru." With this Kurenai was gone.

Hinata took a deep breath and released it slowly to calm herself down. _'I've decided now, I want to see this side of his. He gave me a chance to, and I won't waste it for being afraid.'_ For someone who had been sealed inside a caboose, Kurama was surprisingly eloquent. _'I just hope that he's waiting for me.'_ She got up from her position on the ground and went in search of one thing that she loved, cinnamon buns.

Kakashi was appreciating his smut in peace until he felt a massive killing intent, so he raised his nose from the pages of Icha Icha to meet a certain snake mistress, that was twirling a kunai on her finger and had a purely sadistic look on her face. "Hey porn-lover, is the read good?" Kakashi felt prudent to not answer Anko and closed his book, racing away from her for the safety of his orange book. "Tsk, tsk. You can run from a snake, but you can't hide yourself from one."

When Kurenai was out of sight, an awkward silence fell over the guys. Before any of them could talk, both their stomachs growled loudly. "Do you like barbecue?" Kiba received a tiny nod. "Good, today there is a promotion at the Akimichi's." Kurama stared at him. "Which kind?" Kiba grinned like a kid on a candy shop. "If you beat the owner in an eating contest, then you don't have to pay the bill. I won it a few times. Do you want a go on it?" Kurama thought for an instant, but his hunger of a several centuries chose for him. "Yes. Maybe I'll even challenge two of those Akimichi." Kiba's jaw hit the floor, mirrored by Akamaru. "ARE YOU CRAZY MAN?!" His outburst only got an annoyed look. "Okay, I'll take you there."

Hinata was strolling through the village, happily munching on her delicious buns, then she saw a commotion in front of the Akimichi restaurant. _'What's going on?' _She tapped the shoulder of a passerby, asking the reason for such a crowd. "Didn't you know? There's a guy that challenged three of the biggest eaters from the Akimichi and he's creaming them." Hinata sweatdropped, the family was known for their eating habits, but for only one person be able to rival three of them, that was a sight to behold. Well, some people had commented that if she were to engage one of them in a contest of who could eat the most cinnamon buns, she'd win by a large margin.

Sasuke was in a sour mood, somehow when he woke up he was in a bed with a guy, both in the nude and his ass was in pain. He used his Sharingan too make the guy forget everything, but he made a discovery. For some reason, when he got drunk, he turned gay. Thus he vowed to never get drunk again nor enter in a bar, ever.

The pile of plates in front of the redhead was scary to look at, as it was taller than the amount of the three other contestants summed up. "Hah, that was tasty!" Even though Kurama had eaten a lot, his shape hadn't changed in the slightest. "I'm finished, so it should mean that I won, right?" Nobody answered while Choza and Choji waved a white flag from their position on the ground. "Well, I'll take that as a yes." Everybody was stunned, anyone else would have given up a long time ago. He got up and walked away, with his hunger sated. Kiba, who had been watching, had a twitching eyebrow at the sight.

A certain raven-haired goddess was laughing at those scenes until she felt an iron grip on her shoulder. "What are you doing Kami?" The sun deity wasn't amused. "Hey, Amaterasu... I was just playing with this world-" This reply earned her an ironclaw to the face. "You can't mess with a world just because you're bored!" Then she saw a red thread. "You did THAT again?!" She had picked up her weapon and held it close to Kami's head. "I can't help it! They're like you and Inari!" A crash reverberated among the halls, startling many gods. Kami was now nursing a basketball sized bump in her head.

The afternoon was coming to an end, the civilians were closing their shops while the shinobi began the night patrol. But two people didn't follow this rule. Kurama had gone to the training ground where he had met the Hyuuga and reverted back to a fox, while Hinata had to evade the guards of her compound to get out and meet him.

Kurama waited patiently for the Hyuuga, almost falling asleep until she arrived. "Hello." He heard light footsteps accompanied of a scent that only belonged to one person, Hinata. "Hi Kurama-san." She approached him, petting his large snout. "I want to show you one thing, do you accept?" She nodded. "Then hop on my back, it's a long way from here." Hinata mounted him and held his neck to not fall. "Ready?" He glanced at her, seeing her tiny smile, which brought a smirk on his lips. He tensed up and gave a huge leap.

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	6. Chapter 6

_Kurama waited patiently for the Hyuuga, almost falling asleep until she arrived. "Hello." He heard light footsteps accompanied of a scent that only belonged to one person, Hinata. "Hi Kurama-san." She approached him, petting his large snout. "I want to show you one thing, do you accept?" She nodded. "Then hop on my back, it's a long way from here." Hinata__ mounted him and held his neck to not fall. "Ready?" He glanced at her, seeing her tiny smile, which brought a smirk on his lips. He tensed up and gave a huge leap._

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Hinata held his fur tightly, keeping her head buried on his neck, feeling the wind make her hair whip wildly at her back. She had already experienced mounting a member of the dog family thanks to Kiba and Akamaru, but this was different. Akamaru was like a tamed horse, used to trotting and being careful with his rider. But Kurama was totally different, he ran like a wild steed, not fearing to face obstacles in his way. Hinata lifted her head carefully, blinking due to the wind on her face. When her sight got used to the new situation, she gasped softly, the trees were like green and brown blurs and wherever he jumped, it was like they were flying, as he easily broke the canopy and began making his way on the treetops, not missing a step. With her knowledge of geography and considering his speed, she wouldn't be surprised if Kurama had already trespassed the borders of the Fire country.

The environment was changing, it was turning more rocky than the usual and the trees seemed to be older. Maybe he was taking her to an untouched part of the nature, which the man was yet to reach. They arrived at a clearing with a lake, where Hinata got down from Kurama's back to admire her surroundings. The lake seemed to be glowing thanks to the moonlight and they had gotten there just in time to see the fireflies starting to awaken, which gave a mystical aura to the scene. "Wow... It's so pretty..." Hinata didn't notice, but there were several pairs of eyes staring at the couple. "Hey Tenko, I thought that you had teached them to be polite." Kurama's voice made her aware of the ones who entered the clearing as well, she whirled around expecting enemies, but saw several foxes instead. "Huh?" Her companion had gone towards an elderly fox while the other animals just looked at her curiously. "H-hello?" Hinata awkwardly waved at them, not knowing what to do.

Tenko and his skulk were the last of their kin, the original demon foxes of the legends that were the basis for creating Kurama. Tenko was completely silver and some of his fur was longer than the usual, forming a beard like an old man. "So... It had been at least two centuries since your last visit, right?" Kurama glared at the elder. "Oi, don't go blaming me, it was those stupid humans that thought that I was 'just' a chakra construct without a mind." Tenko merely scratched behind his ears without a care, then he turned his gaze towards the red fox. "Aye, I told you to get the seal on your chest, but you were stubborn and convinced that you didn't need one." Kurama crossed his arms and huffed, looking away. "Tch! Are you going to hold on that until you kick the bucket?" Tenko stretched his tired joints and chuckled. "Feh, you're still a young kit at heart. But tell me, who is the female that you brought here? You were a human hater in the last time I saw you." Kurama cringed visibly and his ears and tails drooped, making his eyes glint with mirth. "Hoo... So the kit who laughed at my friendship with humans is fond of one?" Kurama's hackles stood up on his entire back. "I'll take that as a yes." The Kyuubi held up a snarl pointed at Tenko. "What do you even know about that?" The silver fox grinned. "More than you at least." The bigger male snorted. "Whatever, just put the damn seal on me, as there is a last Uchiha out there, and he has both the Mangekyou and Eternal Sharingan. And some other stupid human could try to seal me again." Tenko morphed in an elder in monk garbs. "Okay young pup. Madara surely was the one who changed your mind about the seal. Go back in a human so I can paint the inscriptions on your chest." They put some distance between them and the clearing so they wouldn't be interrupted.

Hinata was apprehensive, those foxes were staring firmly at her, trained on each move she took. "Can you talk like Kurama-san?" One of them seemed to have raised an eyebrow. "A human that doesn't treat us like irrational animals? I like that. What is your name?" The one who spoke was slightly bigger than the others with a black mark over its forehead, and Hinata wasn't that surprised after interacting with Kurama. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata. And you?" To her surprise, the fox shimmered and was replaced by a man that looked a bit older than her. "I'm Tesshou, from the Inari clan." Hinata bowed her head in a greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you." "Equally. Come on guys, she doesn't seems to be like the other humans." The other foxes assumed their humanoid shape, but still keeping the ears and tail. Hinata was glad to see that they were so friendly, and some of them reminded her of Kiba and his relatives because they used animal analogies and comparisons based on smell.

Tenko was writing the sealing array with his blood, it was an intricate pattern that had a complicated formula and even the best seal master would take years to break it. It was designed to keep the freedom of the demons who received it from being controlled with genjutsu, a dojutsu like the Uchiha had and techniques similar to the Yamanaka's, or even getting sealed into a vessel. It was the masterpiece of the Inari clan, and they had a pleasant surprise with the unforeseen effects. Somehow it got ingrained within the blood and could be passed down to the offsprings of the ones that had the seal, meaning that it didn't have the need to be applied on each individual, unless they were born without it. "Stand still or it won't work." Kurama gritted his teeth. "If I knew that it would burn like this I would have done this a long time ago!" The old man/fox sighed. "I can't help if my affinity is fire. But it could be worse, like lightning affinity." The redhead flinched at the thought yet he had a vein popping up on his forehead. "You always know how to get in my nerves, huh?" Tenko didn't answer, he just jabbed the area around his heart and in some other key points with chakra coated fingers, making Kurama fall on his face, clutching his chest. "! #$%! You could have warned me you old coot!" The elder simply brushed off some invisible dust on his chest. Kurama glared at him from his position on the ground. "You fucker..."

The younger ones or kits as they said, were chasing the fireflies, pouncing around wildly and getting small chuckles from the older ones and Hinata. Then all of a sudden a kit came and pounced on her arms, rubbing itself against her. "Hey sister, do you have a cinnamon stalk? You're covered with the smell." The tiny canine was sniffing her face and pawing at her clothes. "Sorry girl, he's hooked on the smell of cinnamon and bugs anyone that may have a bit of the plant." Tesshou pried the kit from her arms, giving her an apologetic smile. Hinata just so her head with a smile and faced the boy. "It's alright, so you like cinnamon, huh?" The kit nodded fiercely turning in a four years old kid with rusty red hair and the typical fox eyes. "Yeah, it's tasty!" She crouched in front of him. "Have you ever tasted cinnamon buns?" He shook his head in a negative motion. "No." She inched closer. "Would you like to?" His eyes glinted and his tail was wagging like a dog's would. "Is it good?" She patted his head. "Yup, I'll bring some in the next I visit. Now, can you tell me your name?" He began jumping, glad to see another person who loved cinnamon based foods like him. "It's Hiei!"

Hinata was chatting with some women when she glimpsed an old man dragging a redhead by the leg towards her group. She could hear the chain of muttered curses coming from the fallen guy directed at the elder. "So, what is your name young lady?" She linked this man to the silver fox she had seen earlier. "Hinata, I am a Hyuuga." He was brushing his long beard with a thoughtful expression. "Hinata, un? Treat well this young pup here." Somehow the man managed to switch his hold on his cargo to his scruff, making the guy face her, and he had a glare that seemed capable of killing directed at the one holding him. "Aye Kurama, it isn't nice to hold such a glare in front of a fair maiden." Hinata jumped slightly at the name, so this redhead was the human form of Kurama? He was good looking in her opinion... She mentally smacked herself for this silly thought and a light blush dusted her cheeks. "By the way, I am Tenko." He bowed in a greeting. Kurama managed to escape his iron grip and went somewhere else to vent off his anger and frustration that the geezer roused in him. "It's good to be young, but it's even better to see that someone managed to crack the wall around his heart."

Kurama was kicking some boulders away and splitting them in pieces to blow some steam. When he thought that he did enough, he examined the seal over his sternum, what used to be a full body painting in blood was reduced to a stylized trident that rested over the length of the bone. "I hope that it's the real deal, his chakra hurt like hell. It was like getting pelted with fresh lava." His mind drifted to the Hyuuga. _'That old flea bag didn't need to tell me off like that, even more in front of her.'_ He looked up and saw that the moon was about to reach its zenith. "Aw man, time to take her back." He dusted off the rock debris and went to search for her.

Hinata was digesting what the elder had said. 'What did he mean with that? Maybe Kurama is warming up to me. But still... And if I understood wrong?' She looked at the group in front of her. 'But he trusted me enough to bring me here, knowing that I could tell my village about them.' A presence made itself known by her side. "Ay young vixen, why are you this worried? You can tell this old fox." She glanced at the elder. "Tenko-san... I, um... I don't know, I have been in love with a man as long as I can remember, but now, with Kurama, my feelings got mixed to the point that I can't understand them anymore." He was sliding his fingers down the snowy length of his mustache. "Aye, love... Such a complex feeling, yet so simple. Tell me about this young man you mentioned. Maybe I can help." She debated with herself if it was wise to share her love life with this stranger. "Well, I have known him since I was five, I always admired him and his confidence, so I got a crush on him. As the years went by, the crush turned in love. And there was that time when I confessed my love for him, but he never answered. It was months ago and I'm yet to get an answer." Tenko's eyes glinted maliciously. "I do not know him, but to my ears he sounds like a first class idiot." Hinata didn't reply, looking down with a forlorn expression. "I'm old, I've had my share of romances, some that lasted longer than others. But only one female managed to conquer my heart for herself, and she wasn't the one who stayed by my side since my childhood. It was then that I understood: It's not the one you love the longest, but the one you love deepest that forever stays in your heart." She looked at him with surprise. "Many times I thought that I loved my best friend, but she wasn't the one. I met my wife on a bar and we swapped stories over a sake bottle." He laughed at his fond memories and the befuddled face of the girl. "Well, it's time for you to go back to your family, right? Kurama is waiting for you right there." He pushed her to the redhead that was close to the lake.

Kurama wordlessly went back to his animal shape and Hinata rode him. In the way back, they didn't speak a word, as he kept focused on his path. She didn't feel uncomfortable with the setting, as she took the chance to just look at him, finding the differences between him and the regular foxes. The way he frowned as he analyzed the landscape and the thick line that ran from his eyes to his rabbit-like ears. It was strange to think that this creature, that could kill her easily, was just taking her for a walk. Then she recalled when she saw him as a human, he was slightly taller than Kiba, but a bit more tanned and with blood red hair than went down to his neck, the mark on his face picked her attention and made him look wilder in her opinion. _'What will I do when he gets tired of me?'_ She only wished that he wouldn't leave her crushed in the end.

He was fast and soon stood in front of the gates of the Hyuuga household, he was still and waiting for her to get down. Kurama was hesitant in leaving her, the coldness around his heart faded away wherever he was around her, and he liked to just stay close to her like in their first encounter. Hinata liked to be around him, he was a good company and there was another thing that she would never admit openly, he was like a huge and cuddly teddy bear; the mere thought made her want to crawl into a hole in embarrassment. But she had to go home, so she hopped down and went in, but not without giving Kurama a kiss on the side of his muzzle. She didn't look back, but if she did, she would see a frozen fox on its tracks.

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**xXYour DoomXx= the chapter was made to make the readers laugh, glad to see that you did.**

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	7. Chapter 7

_He was fast and soon stood in front of the gates of the Hyuuga household, he was still and waiting for her to get down. Kurama was hesitant in leaving her, the coldness around his heart faded away wherever he was around her, and he liked to just stay close to her like in their first encounter. Hinata liked to be around him, he was a good company and there was another thing that she would never admit openly, he was like a huge and cuddly teddy bear; the mere thought made her want to crawl into a hole in embarrassment. But she had to go home, so she hopped down and went in, but not without giving Kurama a kiss on the side of his muzzle. She didn't look back, but if she did, she would see a frozen fox on its tracks._

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Kurama sat down, staring at the back of the Hyuuga, dumbfounded by her action. _'Why?...'_ He raised one paw to where she had kissed. He couldn't figure what led her to do this, but liked that she did it. Then he remembered that he had to get out of there, and he was gone with a smirk. _'Hn, I was right. She's truly an angel for accepting me this fast.'_ On his way back to his den, that was now on the deepest section of the Forest of Death, he thought back to the times when he noticed the presence of the Hyuuga from his time in the darned seal that stole his freedom in the last sixteen years. _'... Why can't that stupid see that it was Hinata who was dancing on that waterfall?'_ He recalled admiring her within Naruto but he was utterly aggravated when he witnessed the immense stupidity of his previous vessel. _'Sheesh! I'm sure as hell that she was the only female in that area save for that bee-user bitch.'_ Still, it was better for him, as he was the only one who knew how beautiful she was. _'And he literally forgot that she sacrificed herself for him.'_ It was true, inside his vessel's mindscape he witnessed as the obsession for the pink banshee and the Uchiha wiped out the memory, thankfully the seal that he so ardently cursed protected him of suffering the same fate. "I'm going to make her leave the crush for him behind." It was then that he noticed that Tenko was right, the Hyuuga managed to make a place for herself in his heart. "Argh... I hate when I have to admit that the old fart is right." He had reached his den, it was a huge gallery of caverns made by one of the species of monster ants that lived in the FoD, but he had obliterated them in less than a week, during the post-war festival. Now, no creature approached the entrance of the gallery because they knew instinctively that there was a predator stronger than any of them living there.

Hinata treaded carefully in the halls, jumping at every unnatural sound and avoiding the patrol until she got to her bedroom. There she quickly changed for her night clothes and went to sleep and fell into a dream.

_Dream sequence:_

_Hinata was in the streets as the rain slowly transformed in a downpour. There she stood, looking at a window that showed Naruto and Sakura kissing then holding a little kid with her eyes and his hair. Tears went down her face, it was like she had a blunt and rusted kunai deep into her chest, piercing her heart. "I've lost to her, he chose her over me... But why? Doesn't he recall that I confessed to him as I saved him from Pain?" She turned away from the scene and ran, not caring about her destination, she just ran to put the most distance sure could muster between them. Then, she tripped and just stayed where she had fallen. _

_A few moments went by and she noticed that she wasn't feeling the water drops falling on her back harshly. She raised her eyes and stared on ruby orbs. "K... Kurama?..." He was standing there as a human, holding an umbrella over her. "You're going to get sick, let me take you home." She didn't answer nor protested when he effortlessly picked her up and began walking. Her conscience faded slightly, it wasn't enough to make her wake up, it just left her numb and sense the movements around her as she kept her eyes closed. She heard him open a door and go in, after a few minutes she felt a mattress under her back. "Why are you helping me?" Her question left her lips in a whisper, but he still heard her clearly. "Because I want to." He brushed some of her hair off her face and wished her a good night._

Hinata awoke abruptly, the shock of what Kurama did in her dream being the cause. _'What does this dream means?!'_ She still recalled his words from their first encounter. Oh, only Kami knew how much she wanted to believe them, but alas, her traitorous mind didn't let her, whispering about how he, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, was the bringer of death and doom to humans. "Is Tenko right? Maybe he does like me, but... What about me? Do I like him too?" This question made her stop her rambling and focus. _'Wait, didn't I love Naruto? But Tenko said that it may be only a long-term love, not a true one.'_ Her head was spinning with questions, it was confusing. "I need fresh air..."

Her dream only lasted two hours at most, as it was still dark outside. It was a bit chilly as a bit of mist formed with each breath she took. "Hey~! Hinata~!" This voice... Kiba! Indeed, there was he, with Akamaru by his side and grinning at her. "Where have you been?" He approached her. "You see Hina, the Hokage sent me on a C-rank mission, it was easy and I took only one day." Now she understood why she didn't see him at all yesterday. "What did you have to do?" He patted Akamaru in his head. "Well, I only had to find a bunch of guys that got lost in a forest." *Bark!* "Oh yeah, and grab the rogue nin that used the genjutsu that made them get lost." Hinata made a worried face. "Did you get hurt?" Kiba guffawed at her question. "Pfft! He was like, Genin level, he wasn't a match for a Jonin like me!" Them he stood face to face with her, sniffing her while he frowned. "Hinata... Why you're covered with the smell of fox? It ain't even one day old." She blushed several shades of red. "It seems familiar... Oh! Is from that guy, Kurama! Damn, girl, he's a freak!" A cold sweat ran down her temple. "I mean, he totally creamed three of the eating contest champions from the Choji's clan!" She made a deadpan expression and sighed in relief. "But it means that you slept with-" She clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shh Kiba! I can explain to you, but not here."

"Eeeehhhh?! You freaking met the Kyuubi during the festival and he let you sleep on him?! Man, that was the craziest thing I've heard and after seeing the war it's saying a lot." Kiba had screamed loud enough to wake up the dead, luckily Hinata had taken him to a deserted section of the village. "And now you two are buddies?" She just nodded. He plopped down with his back against a tree. "Maan~ I'd never think that the guy I saw playing with Haru would be him." He ruffled his hair and groaned. "But he seems to be a good guy now, so I think that it's alright." *Whine... Bark!* Akamaru said something that made Kiba jerk up. "What did he say Kiba-kun?" He just smiled at his dog. "You're right, if he wanted to destroy the village or kill someone he would have done it a long time ago." He turned to face his teammate and patted her back. "I won't tell anyone about Kurama being the Kyuubi, and when he's a human you wouldn't even think about this option, he's a total softie with kids! Don't worry 'kay?" She smiled back, glad for him being able to understand. "But Shino's going to be pissed up with us for staying out of this, as even Kurenai-sensei saw him dealing with Haru." The insect user loathed when he was the last of his team to learn about something, it made him feel left out. They gave goodbye to each other and went to their clan houses.

Tenko was calmly appreciating his tea and kept watching over the fishing rod. Tesshou looked up to the old man that was perched on a tree branch. "Oi gramps, what you're doing?" He held a finger in front of his mouth. "Shh, I'm going to catch a pest." All of a sudden he felt a mighty yank on the line, forcing him to pull the rod up hastily. "Yee~haw! Today he's more daring than ever!" He was fighting with his prey, both fighting over each inch of dominance. "Come on... Come to me little fish..." He was winning the battle, it was a slow progress but an unshakable fact. "Now, the last blow... Oryaaahhh!" With a last pull he ended the struggle, revealing his target, that was his beloved grand-grandson, Hiei. "Hhh, jeejee." The little boy had his little fangs firmly clenched over the quill of cinnamon, to the point that he was supported by it. "Aye, I won again." Tenko untied the quill, letting the boy eat it. "You're weird grandpa, and my nephew is in the same level of weirdness." Tenko laughed at what Tesshou said. "I know, that's why we get along well." The boy pouted. "You cheated jiji." He smiled sweetly. "Nop, you was careless." Hiei began jumping in outrage and pointed at him. "You used iron-spider web!" The old man picked up the line and gave it a tug. "Nop, it was from regular silkworm cocoon." The boy glared at him, his hackles rising by instinct. "And this cinnamon was harder to eat." The elder smoothed down his beard. "It's still cinnamon." Tesshou sighed at the banter he was witnessing. "Good grief you two." He turned to his grandson while he held the brat by the tail. "You didn't see it, but I used to do the same with Kurama, he preferred bamboo shoots."

Kurama gave out a strong sneeze and woke up, feeling another sneeze coming. *Atchoo!* He scratched his snout. "Damn, who's spreading rumors about me? It must be the old buzzard." He stretched his back like a cat, feeling the vertebrae pop. After getting rid of that bother he did a few turns on his bedding, that was made from the pelt of one of the giant tigers that was too cocky and dared to challenge him, and laid down with his stomach facing the roof. "Hah, so bored..." He got up and began sharpening his claws on the rock walls, leaving long and deep gashes. His tails whipped around, showing his restlessness. When he was finished it was as if a whirlwind of blades had assaulted the cove. "Much better." In instants he went to sleep, as he didn't get to sleep much with the loudness of the blond goofball.

The morning greeted Konoha through the waking birds and the fresh breeze that was ruffling the tree leafs. A certain orange loving ninja was finally dismissed from the hospital, still scratching his body because of the full body cast that was used on him. "Haa~ It's so good to be free!" Naruto flexed his stiff muscles, testing his newly healed bones. "What should I do now? Ah, ramen!" As if on a cute his stomach growled. He ran in his top speed to his favorite stand, but caught a bit of indigo on his view. "Hey Hinata!" The girl turned to face him. "H-hello Naruto-kun." He noticed that she didn't blush as always, but shrugged it off, maybe she was getting better from this weird disease that made her flush a bright red and then faint. "I'm going to grab some ramen, do you want to come with me?" He grabbed her hand and began dragging her with him. "Okay." When they arrived, he was swarmed by his fangirls and he took a while to make them go away, but not without losing some pieces of clothing like his jacket and undershirt. Hinata had ignored him and had already ordered her portion, making him feel annoyed for some reason that he didn't understand. "Hinata, why you're giving me a cold shoulder?" He tried to get her attention and began whining. "Ah, did you say something Naruto?" She seemed to snap out of a trance. "You're weirder, did you drink sake?" He felt this urge to make her tell him what was wrong, maybe he could help. "I'm just tired and a bit stressed because of the war." Naruto didn't accept this answer and pried further. "Come on Hinata, tell me!" He was gripping her shoulders, making her face him. This action irked her, forcing something to snap within her. "Not everybody is as easygoing as you Naruto!" She had enough of him inquiring her and went out, but not without paying for the food, even if she didn't eat a bite. "Strange, she never got this angry with me." Naruto had a confused expression and scratched the back of his head.

If one was courageous enough to enter in the depths of the Forest of Death, they would see a massive fox stretching its limbs after a night of sleep. "YA~WN... Such a good sleep without having to watch perverted fantasies of a hormonal teenager... Brr... Some of those things could have scarred a seasoned man." He shook off some of the rock dust he got on his fur from when he went crazy in the cave. He smelled a stench and it came from him. "Okay, note for myself, never sleep on a freshly skinned pelt, no matter how comfy it is." Luckily for him there was a waterfall close by, with one slab of stone that was large enough for him to lay over, and he did exactly that, intending to dry on the sun. "I forgot how good it was to stay like this." With this last thought he went to sleep again.

Tesshou frowned as he stared at his grandfather putting on his traveling clothes. "Hey gramps, why you're going to the Fire country? Didn't you decide to not ally yourself to any village?" Tenko brushed away a lock of silvery hair away from his face. "Aye, it's not for me, but for Kurama. I think that he will need some help to court that young lady." The younger male frowned. "The Hyuuga? I heard that her family is overly traditional." The elder smiled to his grandson. "Exactly, and knowing him, he may refuse to lower his head when necessary." Then he put up a thoughtful facade. "... Do you want to come with me? Hiei staged a tantrum when he knew that I may meet the Hyuuga again, and I need a babysitter." Tesshou's face folded into a grimace, the brat was a daredevil. "Alright, someone needs to be the brake for you and him." Tenko faked tears of hurt. "Why would you think such a terrible thing about me?" Tesshou felt a vein about to bust in his forehead and a twitching on his eyebrow. "Do you really want me to answer, your panty-thief?" He made an innocent face and began whistling. "That was just a bet that I made with Kami-sama~"

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**Iliana= That's my favorite pairing, even if it never turns canon. But that's why that FF was made for, right?**

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